In recent years, Brown, the author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and the memoir When the Century Was Young, has been compiling short pieces of Western folklore and history. This is, in fact, the best collection of his essays, showcasing his empathetic treatment of his subjects and his careful research, factors that have earned him high honors in the genre. His accounts have refocused our understanding of history and of the roles played by Native people and courageous, often foolish and greedy, white settlers. Here are accessible, consistently entertaining and informative stories of famous events: ""The Trail of Tears"" is a heart-wrenching narrative of the forced removal of Cherokee Indians to newly declared Indian territory. ""As well as could be estimated the Cherokees had lost about four thousand by deaths--or one out of every four members of the tribe."" ""A Girl in the Donner Party"" looks at the tragic trip over the Donner Pass through the diary of 12-year-old Virginia Reed. ""The Pirates of the Ohio"" describes the dangers awaiting settlers as they ventured westward via flatboats on the Ohio River. The stories of such well-known figures as Lewis and Clark, Jim Bridger, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well as other, more obscure characters are told as if Brown himself had lived closely with each. Supplemented by period photographs and illustrations, the anthology reads like fiction but educates as well. (Feb.)